Historical Context

In 1938, Marina Raskova and two other women made history by setting a world record for the longest flight. This flight, known as the “Flight of the Rodina, was a pivotal point in the Soviet Union’s history of women’s aviation” because it inspired young girls and women to want to learn to fly. Based on her abilities, Marina was the first female navigator of the Soviet Air Force and the first woman to be “Hero of the Soviet Union,” the country’s highest honor.

When Marina Raskova heard of Operation Barbarossa, she broke political barriers when she petitioned Joseph Stalin for three all-women aviation units. Earlier attempts to allow women to join air combats were rejected by Stalin, but Raskova’s persistence paid off. On October 8, 1941, the Night Witches were established. This allowed women to gain more social equality. In May 1942, Raskova told her women “...I believe that all of you will come back as heroes. Epics and songs will be composed about you. You will be glorified by future generations!” Marina was a daring and demanding commander. She used her celebrity status to inspire women and break gender stereotypes to “fly for their Motherland when the time came to defend it." Furthermore, “You are the first to be enlisted in the armed forces. It depends on you whether they will keep enlisting women in the future. You must prove you can handle weapons no worse than men can.”